Why do I Need an SSL for my WebSite?

Great question!  Let me explain the WHY behind the move.

You registered your domain name years ago and developed a web site that has been helping you business gather clients and present your best foot forward.  No your webmaster or hosting service is contacting you about getting an Secure Sockets Layer Certificate… that it is the new standard.  Guess what! It is!

You may recall the term ‘SSL’ from emails sent by the hosting or web design team talking about spending more money.  Well you have pushed it past the point that is going to effect your traffic and search standing in the search engines.  Here’s everything you need to know about security certificates and why all websites need to have one.

SSL 101

Secure Sockets Layer is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browser stay private. In other words, your customers know that it’s safe to browse, shop and even enter their information on your site.

Why a certificate?

Since 2018, popular browsers like Chrome, Safari and Firefox have been flagging websites as “Not Secure” if they don’t have a certificate. This means when customers try to visit sites without SSL certificates, their browsers show them a warning like the one below.

Before you dismiss your site as “not a major play so it doesn’t matter,” remember that most attacks are automated without a human deciding who gets targeted.

Also, Google search ranks sites with a correctly installed certificate above those without one. More than likely, you have spent money on Search Engine Optimization to get higher in the search results.  You can kiss that goodby without an SSL.  My clients only have to pay for the Certificate and small installation fee, then I do the rest.

Why?  Because I believe they will be far ahead and happy customers with it working for them.  Their customers will find them easier in searches resulting in more business and growth of their online footprint. Combined with my Digital Marketing package, their “Reach” will expose them to more customers every day. Plus, potential clients will able to visit without fear of having their data stolen.

There are many bad hackers and “catfishers” and impersonators online, which makes having a correctly installed SSL certificate all the more important. Protect your brand and help you look more trustworthy by having a respected Certificate of Authority validate ownership of your domain.

SSL certificates can even help your site become more compliant with industry regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, PCI and others.

The investment you make in your online presence can return on your investment so much better by adding this security feature.  The browsers of today and in the future will eventually require a certificate in order to display the site.  When that happens, you have already lost market share and will now be scrambling at the last minute to get it installed.

One great feature if you have multiple web sites, is the certificate for all the sites hosted on the server.  This drops your cost about 50% for each site added to the Cert.   Server wide certificates are the way to go, even with three or more domains hosted.

Call Me!

I can work with your host and have your SSL Certificate installed in a day, helping your visitors feel good about doing business with you!  Call me at 713-553-6212 for more info!

Also, check out our Digital Marketing Group at HoustonDigitalMarketing.com.  We can work with you to develop a plan to increase your reach on the WWW.